A Special Occasion
by tehplc
Summary: *Finished* Sometimes comfort is found in the most unexpected places. R/J
1. Chapter 1 The Plan

A/n - i don't own these characters, so no suing me.....  
  
Chapter 1  
  
"Not in this lifetime, Sir" Rory Gilmore smiled playfully at her boyfriend Dean, doing her best imitation of a late nineteenth century courtesan. "It's Moulin Rouge time, and I don't want to hear another word about it."  
  
"Okay fine." Crossing his arms over his chest, Dean frowned. He was trying his best to stay mad at the smirking girl on his left, but it was just too difficult. He loved her way too much to stay upset with her. Besides, he couldn't help but appreciate the lingerie she'd adorned in a mocking imitation of the Moulin Rouge wardrobe. "But please... don't make me sing. I don't wanna sing."  
  
Rory stuck her bottom lip out and tried to squeeze out a few tears, "No singing? Who's gonna be my Christian? My writer? Oh Dean... it's no fun without the singing." Seeing that this approach was not convincing her boyfriend full enough, Rory decided to try another. "I'll make it well worth your while..," she teased, placing a few soft kisses on his neck. She could feel his body responding, and knew it was only a matter of time before he gave in. "Come on.. When they sing, we sing. When they kiss, we kiss. When they..." Rory trailed off as Dean interrupted her with a loud groan.  
  
"Fine!" Dean threw his hands into the air, feigning frustration. This girl was just way too persuasive for her own good. "You win. You always win. But first..." Dean swept her into his arms, placing a long, soft kiss on those beautiful lips.  
  
Rory smiled at him, their lips still touching. Without pulling away, she decided to taunt her boyfriend, just a little. "Weak."  
  
"Shut up."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess sauntered down the sidewalk, kicking rocks as he went. He was bored. Incredibly bored. He was in the Pierpont snatching mood, he was so bored. Luke was still in the dining room, blocking any chance at reentry. He'd left him there, seething in anger after a phone conversation with the principal of Jess's school about a fight he'd had that afternoon. So he'd left, rather than listen to the responsibility lecture, for the fourteenth time that day.  
  
Problem was, he didn't know what to do with himself. If it had been a few months ago, or even a few weeks, Jess probably would've went somewhere where he could get drunk and waste the night away in a state of semi- consciousness. Unfortunately, she had changed all that. Amazing the impact such a small girl could have on his entire life. From the instant he'd laid eyes on her, Jess had known Rory Gilmore was special. Just how special it had taken him a while to figure out. But now that he knew it... Jess wasn't sure what to do about it. He knew he liked her, but the fact remained that she was just too beautiful. And too smart. He wasn't sure that he was even capable of getting with a girl that perfect. And besides all that, she had a boyfriend. A boyfriend that she claimed to love. A boyfriend that-  
  
The sounds of not-so-very-far-off giggling pulled Jess out of his reverie. He ducked behind a bush and watched as Sookie and Lorelei Gilmore went into the house across the street, laughing like a couple of teenagers. He could only understand bits and pieces of their conversation, but apparently Lorelei had made a comment concerning the compatibility of Sookie's and Jackson's cars. Apparently, one could not have a fruit cart and an SUV in the same driveway. Who knew why not. It was Lorelei Gilmore after all...  
  
"How Rory turned out so sane with a mother like that, I will never know..." Jess mumbled to himself as he turned away from the hyenas. That's when he heard it. The comment that cured his boredom.  
  
"Hey Sookie, let's have a sleepover. Come on. Please.... You and Jackson will be getting married soon, and we won't be able to have any more of our late night. Plus, Lorelei cocked her head as she considered something,. Then nodding in affirmation of her idea, she announced "and I think I'm a little drunk too, so this seems like a good plan."  
  
Jess turned around, heading away from the voices again. Rory was by herself! For the entire night. Alone. Now Jess had a destination. 


	2. Chapter 2 An Change in Plans

02 - A Change in Plans  
  
He'd decided the best approach was to check what she was doing. After all, it was after midnight, and the dutiful student might be in bed already. So, keeping this in mind, Jess peered in the window at her empty bed before slipping quietly into the house. Then, finding his way quickly into the living room, Jess's heart dropped. Her and Dean. Asleep together on the couch.  
  
Disappointment filled his chest as he prepared to turn away and head home. But before he could move, his eyes caught something. They locked in on Rory's attire. She was scantily clad in some sort of lingerie with a feather boa flung around her neck. His jaw dropped at the ensemble, and it was a full minute before he could bring himself to tear his eyes away.  
  
Deciding now probably wasn't the best time to be standing around gawking, Jess tried slipping back out the way he came. Unfortunately, the shock of seeing Rory Gilmore in something so revealing had affected his motor system, and he ended up colliding with a tower of movies that fell with a resounding crash onto the floor. Not wanting to be caught in the unmistakable position of 'stalker', Jess ducked into the nearest room, deciding he would slip out the window while Rory and Dean said their goodbyes.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"What the hell!?" Dean awoke with a start, only to find his just-as- startled girlfriend staring at him with a confused look on her face.  
  
"Why are you still here?"  
  
Dean almost broke out in laughter at the panicked look on her face. "It's Saturday Ror.."  
  
"Oh yeah.. Okay. Um... how long have we been sleeping?" Glancing at the clock, she only waited a beat before continuing the one-sided conversation. "And where is my mother? Doesn't she know what time it is? Dang kids these days, not calling if they're gonna be late. Oh, wait. There's a message on the answering machine." Rory pushed the button and waited for her mom's message to play.  
  
"Rory. It's your mom. Yeah, I'm over at Sookie's and we're just having such a great time with the uh.. Twister and umm... Chutes and Ladders that I'm gonna stay here, okay? Not that it matters. You are obviously being my boring daughter, sleeping on a Saturday night. So if you get this, have a party, throw a rave. Anyways, I'll be home before you get up, so yeah, maybe I'll even get to erase this message before you even get it. That would be good. Okay. Bye."  
  
Dean came up and wrapped his arms around Rory's waist during the course of the message. Now leaning down to brush his lips against her neck, he whispered, "so, looks like we're all alone."  
  
Rory's body tensed a little at the thought. Alone? Her and Dean? It's not like they'd never been alone before, but here it was, after midnight already and she had just found out that her mom wouldn't be coming home any time soon. They'd never been alone with guaranteed privacy so late into the night before. And it didn't seem like Dean was taking this as a signal to evacuate either. She sighed, trying not to show her frustration.  
  
Not that she had to worry about him picking up on it. Dean was too intent on breathing in her scent to notice her discomfort in the least. To him, her sigh was one of content and desire. Not being able to stand it anymore, he turned her around, kissing her mouth seductively.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess frowned as he listened to the message Lorelai had left. His frown deepened even more as he listened to Dean's reaction. "So, it looks like we're all alone." Those words were echoing in Jess's ears as he tried to pry open Rory's window. He had to get out of here before he saw or heard something that he did not want to. Before he couldn't help himself and punched Dean's lights out. Who did he think he was? He didn't deserve Rory. He would never understand her: her obsession with literature, her fetish for movies, the junk food addiction.. Dean tolerated it, but he didn't understand her.  
  
Just then, the voices got louder as Dean was obviously headed towards the bedroom. Fuck! What was this thing shut with... nails? Looking up, Jess realized that it was locked, and as he reached up to unlatch it...  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You know, my parents are probably already in bed, and I have to be at the store early tomorrow morning, before they wake upp." Dean whispered the words seductively into Rory's ear.  
  
Unfortunately, they didn't have the intended effect. Rory's eyes widened, and she began backing away from him. "Dean..."  
  
But before she could say anything else, Dean let out a frustrated groan. "Urgh!" A few seconds of silence followed where Rory just watched her boyfriend stand in the middle of the hallway shaking his head, obviously trying to convince himself of something. Finally, after what seemed like a year to Rory, he started speaking again, "We have been together for over a year now, yet every time we have any opportunity to be alone... to be together... you tell me that you want me to go home."  
  
"Dean, don't be mad. I just-"  
  
"You love me, don't you?"  
  
"Of course I do! And I don't want you to think that I don't, but..."  
  
"But nothing, Rory. I love you too, and I just want to show you that." He took a step towards her, and suddenly to Rory, he looked almost menacing. Things were beginning to get much too serious for her comfort.  
  
"You do show me. All the time. The other night when you surprised me with mint ice cream and actually volunteered to sit through 'Steel Magnolias' with me... Now that's love."  
  
"Rory! You know what I mean."  
  
"Yeah.." She suddenly found her eyes glued to the floor. It was amazing some of the stuff you overlooked during the course of the day. There was a slight pink spot to the left of Dean's right foot that could only be from spilled ...  
  
"So..." Dean's expectant tone interrupted her inspection of the floor.  
  
"Dean... You know what happened to my mother. I just don't- "  
  
"God!" He interrupted her, obviously angry, "Does it always have to be about your mom?"  
  
"My mother happens to be a very important part of my life, Dean. She happens to be my best friend and her opinion... but that's not even the issue here. I'm not ready, and I'm sorry if you can't accept that. I c-"  
  
For what seemed like the thousandth time that night, Dean cut Rory off. "Forget it, I should have known better than to think you would. I'm going now." With that, he was gone.  
  
* * * * *  
  
So was Jess. He would have to thank Dean later for all the yelling. It had given him time to "convince" Rory's stubborn window that it needed to be opened. He was already out the window and about three yards away when he heard the unrestrained sobbing floating through the summer night and infiltrating his ears.  
  
Stopping dead in his tracks, Jess held an internal debate. He couldn't just let her stay there all night crying by herself. He wasn't cold enough to do that. But what could he say to her? 'Just happened to be wandering by when I heard your boyfriend turn into the world's largest jackass.' No, this was definitely something she was not going to want to talk about. He should just leave her there. She probably wanted to be alone anyways. Jess turned his body towards town again.  
  
But the crying. She was still crying. He couldn't just ignore it. How the hell could Dean be so inconsiderate? This was his job, god dammit! But Jess found himself walking towards the open window and peering in. His heart almost broke when he saw her curled up in a little ball at the head of her bed, her shoulders shaking violently. There he was, outside the same window he'd been past desperate to exit just minutes earlier. Well here goes. Jess tapped lightly on the glass, startling the crumpled heap on the bed. 


	3. Chapter 3 Not Disappointed

a/n - thanks to everyone whose been so nice to my story, i really appreciate it. so i went ahead and wrote this last nite when i got home an actually had reviews! :)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
03 - Not Disappointed  
  
"Dean?" Rory practically leapt off the bed towards her window. Then, seeing the familiar face at the window she paused in surprise. "Oh! Jess..."  
  
"Sorry to disappoint."  
  
"I'm not disappointed. Relieved actually." A slight blush crept up the girl's cheeks as she blurted out the confession.  
  
"No?" Rory felt the blush deepen as Jess graced her with one of his rare, sincere smiles.  
  
"No. Do you want to come in? Or maybe you'd just like to kneel on the wet ground outside my bedroom window all night. I've heard that mud can do wonders for the skin." While talking, Rory reached her hand out, helping Jess into the room. Then suddenly remembering what she'd been doing when he arrived, she quickly brought her hand to her face, self-consciously wiping the stray tears away. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Jess, still somewhat shocked by her reaction at discovering that it was him, and not Dean, at the window reached his own hand up to brush a stray tear off her cheek and tuck a disheveled lock of hair behind her ear. "Just wondering what you were up to."  
  
Rory's skin burned where his hand had touched her. All she wanted was to feel that tingling sensation all over her body. "Jess...," she breathed his name, slowly closing the already tiny gap between them.  
  
"...yeah," his breath caught in his throat as she came closer to him. He could feel her breath on his lips as his face was pulled towards hers, as if by some magnetic force.  
  
SMACK!!!  
  
The window that had played such a vital role in Jess' night so far slammed shut, it's slam echoing through the room, breaking the trance. The two teenagers jumped apart at the noise and began to look around the room, identical blushes creeping into the faces. Both stood still for a second, neither knowing what to say until Jess finally broke the silence.  
  
"So, I guess I'd better be going. I mean, you're obviously busy.. The Pj's, the unmade bed. I'm obviously interrupting.  
  
"Umm.. Yeah.. I was getting ready to crash.. Hey Jess?"  
  
One foot already out the window, Jess paused and turned around rather awkwardly without having to completely reenter the room.  
  
Stifling a giggle at the nervous Jess trying to climb out a window that refused to stay open, Rory offered another suggestion. "You can use the back door you know.. My mom isn't home."  
  
"That's so predictable though. Isn't this much more 'Dodger' for ya?" He turned his back on her again, once again attempting the difficult chore of exiting through the unfriendly window.  
  
"Hey Jess."  
  
"You really don't want me to go, do you?" Jess turned around with his trademark smirk only to be answered by a solemn looking Rory.  
  
"No." She reached out and touched his arm that was still inside her room. "Don't go. I don't feel like being alone right now."  
  
Without a word, Jess climbed back into the room. "Don't worry. I won't go." Then, feeling the lingering tension that remained from their 'almost moment' Jess tried to lighten the mood. "Sooo... What do you want to do?"  
  
Catching onto the new atmosphere, Rory continued the game. "Hmm.. Midnight. Wearing the PJ's. Laying in bed. I was thinking maybe I could sleep."  
  
"But since that's obviously not happening..."  
  
"...I suppose hanging out with you will do." Rory finished his statement with an innocent smile on her face.  
  
"Rory, I'm hurt."  
  
"Yeah. I'm sure you'll get over it. Now come on, let's go find something to eat. I'm starving."  
  
"Yeah, it's been.. What? .. Like a whole hour since you ate?" Jess followed Rory into the kitchen.  
  
"No. I'll have you know it's been 3 whole hours, and if I don't get some food in me fast, I might just turn into Evil Rory."  
  
"Evil Rory?"  
  
"Yeah, you know... the quiet moody Rory that runs around town stealing lawn gnomes and staging fake murders." Rory grinned to herself as she opened the refrigerator, groaning at the sparse contents of three Pepsi twists and a banana that she couldn't even remember purchasing.  
  
"Yeah... I think I might've seen her. The same one who lives in that diner downtown, thereby having access to all the doughnuts and cakes she could possibly want..."  
  
Rory whirled around at the mention of sweets and put on a big smile at the sight of Jess's hand reaching into the backpack he had previously had swung over his shoulder. "Did I say Evil Rory?"  
  
"I believe that is-"  
  
"Cause I meant, sweet, wonderful, generous, god-fearing Rory."  
  
"God-fearing?"  
  
"Fine. Gilmore-fearing." Rory stated.  
  
"When you put it that way." Jess's hand finally reappeared, wielding a tupperware container filled to the brim with pastries.  
  
"Oooh. Me like." Rory reached out for the container.  
  
"Ah, ah ah." Jess set the container on the kitchen table, reaching again into his bag and coming out with a thermos that smelled distinctly of coffee.  
  
"Wow. What else do you got in there, Poppins?"  
  
"Poppins?"  
  
"As in Mary Poppins. The nanny with the magical bag."  
  
"So, I'm a nanny now?" Jess raised an eyebrow at this suggestion.  
  
"You are here in the middle of the night carrying a bag that seems oh so magical to me." She snatched it from his hands and dumped the rest of the contents on the table: a bag of assorted candies, two leftover apple pies, and a bundle of clothing that made an amazingly loud noise as it landed on the table.  
  
Suddenly distracted by the rock hard bundle of gym clothes, Rory reached over to unbundle the clothes, revealing a full bottle of Absolut Vodka. She held it up accusingly for Jess to see.  
  
"This is very un-nannylike of you."  
  
"Is that supposed to upset me?" Jess reached over to take the bottle from her hands, but she pulled it out of his grasp.  
  
"Why do you have this?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Jess met her eyes, "Come on Rory. It's just vodka."  
  
"Just vodka? Are you aware that teenage drinking is the number one cause..."  
  
"It was Jess's turn to interrupt her. "If I had wanted a lecture, then I would've pulled the bottle out for you to see. Or shown it to Luke. But it was wrapped quite nicely in my shorts, and if you hadn't noticed it's not even open."  
  
Rory's eyes shifted to take in the unbroken seal. "So, if you weren't planning on drinking it..."  
  
"Oh, I never said I wasn't planning on drinking it." He gave her a smile, trying to end the conversation. Unfortunately, Rory was a little more hard- headed than that.  
  
"Jess..."  
  
"Rory...listen, ok." She stopped talking. "I keep that stuff around for special occasions. For a night when something so bad happens that I need a release ok? Something to make me forget all the bad things in my life. I bought that bottle back in January, and I still haven't drank it. But something about having it there... Just in case, makes it so that I can deal with my problems. Do you understand?" Jess paused, thinking for a second. "I guess you don't. I mean, you've probably never done anything like that in your life. It probably seems really dumb to you, but..."  
  
She cut him off by saying the one thing that he would've never expected her, Rory Gilmore, to say, "So do you mind if we open it then?"  
  
His head jerked up so fast that Rory thought he would get whiplash.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I think that tonight qualifies as a special occasion." She paused, as if considering all the reasons why. "Yes. I think so. And if this is guaranteed release, I'm all for it." With that, she started opening the bottle.  
  
Jess laid a hand on her shoulder. "Rory, you don't want to do this."  
  
"And why is that... Poppins?" Rory looked up at him, a small sarcastic smile on her face. Yet, it was a smile that held no real happiness, just an empty confusion. It was the face of a girl with no options. A girl that wanted more than anything to forget her problems, and she was willing to do anything for that.  
  
Jess recognized that look well, as he had seen it so many times in the reflection of the numerous bottles he had opened. It was at that moment he decided that it wasn't worth it.  
  
"You know, I'm not sure I like being compared to a 40-year old woman whose only mode of transportation is a talking umbrella and chalk drawings."  
  
"No? Then open this bottle, and I won't call you that anymore."  
  
"Come on Rory. This isn't gonna solve anything, and you know it."  
  
"But it'll make me forget, and that's all I want right now."  
  
"I think we can arrange for that without any liquids." Then glancing over at the thermos on the counter, Jess reconsidered his statement, "Well, without any clear liquids that is."  
  
"And how would you propose that, Mr. Mariano?"  
  
"With junk food, coffee, and maybe some more of the special magic that I possess."  
  
"Ah... and Poppins returns." 


	4. Chapter 4 The Aftermath

a/n - again, i'd like to thank everyone for all the great reviews.  
  
Chapter 4 - The Aftermath  
  
"Now what on earth was my daughter up to last night?" It was Saturday morning, and Lorelai Gilmore was staring incredulously at the chalk pictures all over the sidewalk and street outside of her home. There were pictures of everything from country landscapes to what she recognized as Rory's interpretation of Marilyn Manson's bedroom, and they were covering the front walk.  
  
Upon entering the house, Lorelai noticed that things were even more out of the ordinary. There were boas and what she recognized as Moulin Rouge watching attire decorating the living room. Besides that though, there was bits of candy all over the floor, and the room was more messed up more so than usual. The television had never been turned off from the night before. Even the sofa was in disarray as the cushions were located in various spots all over the room.  
  
"Rory Gilmore! What on earth happened here last night, and why was I not called to partake in the festivities?" Lorelai rounded the corner to her daughters room, pushing the door open to find a very disheveled young girl laying fast asleep in her bed. She glared at the sleeping figure muttering to herself, "you may have avoided the interrogation for now, but soon I shall return with my side-kick, Mr. Coffee, and together we will break you."  
  
With that, Lorelai returned to her jeep and headed towards Luke's.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Rory leapt out of bed as she heard the jeep start up and pull out of the driveway again. "Ohmygod! I cannot believe that just happened."  
  
"Yo Rory, calm down. Not a big deal. She didn't see me, okay?" Jess was trying to comfort the neurotic girl running around her bedroom. They had just woken up to Lorelai's thankfully not-so-quiet voice coming in the house, finding themselves intertwined with one another on Rory's single bed. She had had just enough time to push him off the side before her mom had entered the room. He could only imagine what Lorelai's reaction would've been if she had discovered Jess, her not so favorite person in the town, lying in bed with her daughter.  
  
"Ohmygod, ohmygod!" Rory continued to pace frantically around the room, obviously trying to process the events of last night.  
  
Jess stalked over to her and grabbing her shoulders, he shook forcefully. "Snap out of it! Your mother did NOT see me. You have done NOTHING wrong. Now get a hold of yourself."  
  
"Coffee, I need coffee" she whined, holding a hand to her head.  
  
Jess just laughed at the return to sanity, or insanity considering the individual in question. "There's still some left in the thermos, I think. Come on." He filled her up a mug, then proceeded to begin packing up his stuff, most of which he noticed was gone. A pair of gym shorts, an empty tupperware, and a now-empty thermos were the extent of his belongings. Even the undrank vodka had gotten dumped out in the course of the night, after Rory had opened it, insisting on finding out exactly what vodka smelled like.  
  
Then realizing he wasn't wearing a shirt Jess disappeared into Rory's room again. After a few loud crashes and a couple echoing cuss words, he returned carrying his formerly white t-shirt. He slipped it on, covering the naked flesh that Rory's eyes had been inconspicuously following around the room.  
  
"My prized canvas! You thief!" Rory's accusation made Jess laugh as he looked down at the chalk illustration of a Starbucks coffee shop on his chest.  
  
"Sorry, but it's my shirt. You don't want me leaving your house half- naked, would you? What would the neighbors say?" Jess feigned horror as he posed the question.  
  
"Fine, but you had better not of made too big of a mess taking it down, or I will exact revenge."  
  
"I'd like to see you try." Jess grinned and then nodding in assurance that he had everything he'd came with, he turned to the now-alert Rory.  
  
"Okay, I'm gonna go because Luke is probably freaking out by now. Plus, I'm sure you want some adjustment time before your mother comes home and begins the what did she call it? Interrogation?" He smirked at the thought of Rory trying to field questions as to her evening, and her company. He, Jess, had actually been the good-intentioned of the two males that had graced the Gilmore home last night.  
  
"Anyways, one question before I go though..." Jess waited for Rory to look up at him, the four brown eyes meeting. "Was I here last night?"  
  
"Umm..." Rory tried to think. Her mother would NOT enjoy the idea of Jess having spent the night with her, but still she didn't think she could avoid telling her. "Yeah.. But only until two, and NOT if you are talking to Dean." She watched as his face went from relieved to stormy. She knew the mention of Dean's name had upset him. The two had never been friends, but after what had happened last night, his contempt for Dean had elevated to a point formerly thought impossible.  
  
"Okay." He started to walk out the door.  
  
"Wait a second." Rory hopped over to where Jess was exiting, which was for once the back door. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks for last night. I had fun." She smiled shyly at the grin spreading across Jess's face.  
  
"Anytime, Gilmore."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Lorelai pulled up to Luke's Diner, only to find a closed sign hanging in the window. What the hell? Why on earth was Luke's closed? It hadn't opened late in the seventeen years she'd lived there, with the exception of the funeral last week and of course the time Luke had discovered a rabbit was sharing his apartment with him and spent the morning attempting to catch it. But besides that, she couldn't think of a single time it had not been open when she needed her caffeine fix. She hoped Luke wasn't upstairs chasing small mammals around in circles. Cocking her head to listen for sounds of distress coming from the upstairs apartment, Lorelei decided that small mammals were not the problem this morning. She'd find out what was going on later.  
  
But for now, it looked like it was up to her to do her own brewing this morning. Lorelai squared her shoulders and entered Doose's Market, repeating to herself, "I think I can. I think I can."  
  
That's when she felt a tap on her shoulder. "Looking for something in particular, or is this just a new attempt at self-confidence building?"  
  
"Dean, hey." Lorelai smiled genuinely at her daughter's longtime boyfriend. "I was just pepping myself up. I have to cook this morning."  
  
"Really?" Dean looked shocked.  
  
"Okay, not cook exactly. But I am going to brew some coffee, if you show me where it is." She smiled charmingly as he led her over towards an aisle in the back.  
  
"Taylor keeps it back here with all the candy and chips. He says that if people want to abuse their bodies, they can get the extra exercise." Dean rolled his eyes at the many theories of Taylor.  
  
"Hmm... he's a bad, bad man." Then, getting a devilish spark in her eye, she elbowed Dean in the ribs, "So you must be awfully tired this morning."  
  
Dean looked sincerely confused. "Why is that?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with me. The house is a mess. There's chalk drawings all over my property, and Rory is still in bed. She outslept me, the queen of late afternoon mornings! You two obviously had a pret-ty long night to have tuckered her out so."  
  
"Chalk drawings? Mess? Rory did that all by herself." Dean held up his hands in protest.  
  
"Looks like a two-person job to me..." Lorelai was going to continue the teasing until she saw the look in his eyes: total confusion tinged with a slight hint of anger.  
  
"Actually, we got in a fight and I left around midnight, so whatever she did, she did it by herself." Dean sounded as if he doubted that, but was a little too incensed to care how it got done.  
  
"Oh. Sorry. I just thought that you had something to do with it, but I guess little Rory is just as capable a mess-maker as any other...." Lorelai trailed off as something across the street distracted her from their conversation.  
  
A teenage figure entering Luke's Diner.... through the window. 


	5. Chapter 5 Confusion

Chapter 5 - Confusion  
  
Rory leaned back against the door after Jess left, lost in thought over what had happened the night before. What a mess... Dean had tried to get her to sleep with him, and when she'd refused, he had rushed out of there without giving her the opportunity to explain her reasons. Then, after she'd run crying into her bedroom, Jess had appeared.  
  
Jess. She had been so upset and angry that when she'd heard the tapping on her window and thought it was Dean, she'd jumped out of bed, ready to give him a piece of her mind. Then the relief of finding Jess instead had filled her, and she'd almost done something stupid.... really stupid.  
  
Rory sighed, drifting back to that moment in her room when she'd almost kissed Jess. Almost. If that window hadn't fallen like that.... But it had, and she was thankful. Dean didn't deserve to be cheated on, especially when they were fighting. It was so cliche. Running into the arms of your boyfriend's enemy. Not that they were enemies, but they definitely weren't friends. So Rory kissing Jess would not have been a good idea.  
  
But she hadn't done anything, and it had worked out for the best. Jess was really a good friend. He had managed to repair her mood, without the 'colorless liquids' as he had put it. He had done an incredible job of cheering her up, drawing chalk pictures outside and trying to convince her she could jump into them. It had been so much fun they'd run out of space on the ground and been forced to use Jess' shirt as a canvas, which Rory took the liberty of hanging above her bed, vowing to keep her 'masterpiece' forever. Then they had watched 'The Goonies' and ended up having a candy/pillow fight after Jess had kicked Rory's "treasure", the bag of candy, over. It was amazing at how capable he was of taking her mind off of everything, helping her forget about everything in the world besides her and him. Somehow, when they were together, the problems with Dean seemed far-off and unimportant.  
  
But when the sun had started to rise, Rory had realized how exhausted she was and decided to get some sleep. Jess had followed, intending to go home, but she had stopped him and they'd begun talking. Rory had apologized for almost kissing him and confessed what had happened between her and Dean. It had been so comfortable having him there with her that they'd fallen asleep together on her bed, and hadn't awakened until that morning when her mom had come home.  
  
"Argh..." Rory growled, remembering her mother. What was she going to tell her? How much? She needed to see Lane. With that, she grabbed her shoes and a jacket and headed out the door.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Listen Dean. It's the sounds of coffee pots sighing in relief all over the world." Lorelai had just spotted Luke stalking towards the entrance to the diner, keys in hand. Without another word to Dean, she slipped out the door and across the street, suspicions mounting as to why exactly the diner was closed on this beautiful morning.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Rory strode down the sidewalk, making good time towards Lane's when she saw her. Dangit! There was no where to hide. It would only be another second before it came....  
  
*****  
  
"Rory!" Lorelai screeched at the top of her lungs upon spotting her daughter walking forcefully down the street. Her daughter looked to like a woman on a mission, and Lorelai was soon going to know what that mission entailed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"My darling daughter! I have missed you." Rory thought for a split second that her mom was going to let the state of the house drop. No such luck. The elder woman's eyes narrowed, and a spark of curiosity invaded her eyes, "Now spill."  
  
Rory gauged the intensity of questioning in her mother's eyes before deciding to plead a little, "Mom... I need breakfast. A girl can't talk on an empty stomach."  
  
"Fine, fine. My little con artist, I will find you food. Luke's just opened, so we can continue our chat there."  
  
"Luke's was closed?" Rory's voice squeaked on the question, causing her mother to frown in suspicion. "I don't think we should go there then, obviously there's something wrong, and we should just give him some time. Come on, let's go to Al's. I think he's having a special on egg foo yung..."  
  
Lorelai held her ground against the daughter that was trying to drag her away from Luke's. "Okay, I want to know what's going on. What kind of person wants chinese food for breakfast when they can have fluffy Luke pancakes? No daughter of mine... unless there's another reason for avoiding Luke.....or maybe Jess." Lorelai raised her eyebrow on the last three words of her statement and watched all the color drain from her daughter's face.  
  
"I... uh... it's just that..." Rory's flustered response was interrupted by a loud crash as the window in Luke's apartment shattered, while a set of keys hurled themselves onto the ground by the Gilmores.  
  
"Oh no... the rabbits have returned...." Lorelai took once last glance at her daughter before rushing towards Luke's, curious to know what was going on.  
  
Rory, on the other hand, seized the opportunity to head back towards home. She did not want to be around to see Jess get his head bitten off. It would only make her feel more guilty.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess had just flopped himself on the bed, intending to make up for his lost sleep from the night before when there was a slamming door followed by a shadow forming over his bed. He turned over to find himself staring into the enraged face of Luke. "Hey.... morning?"  
  
The greeting was obviously not what Luke wanted to hear, as his reaction consisted of hurling the car keys in his hand through the newly installed window.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Jess jumped out of bed, wanting to put as much distance between him and the crazy man advancing towards him.  
  
"Those were my keys. Going through the window. I wanted to see if it made as good of an exit as entrance, and let me tell you, I just don't see it. But since you're the expert, why don't you give it a shot, let me know?"  
  
Jess continued backing up, genuine concern mounting in him that Luke was going to hurl him out the window.  
  
"Or do you not do exits? No? That works for me then, as you won't be exiting this room for the next century." Luke's face was so red Jess thought that the veins in his head might pop soon. But he continued on with his rant, "No parties, no outings of any kind, no making deliveries, NO SCHOOL! You are not leaving this room until–" He was cut off by the sudden entrance of Lorelai Gilmore.  
  
"Hey Luke, you dropped something..." She trailed off at the sight of cowering Jess and angry Luke. "Whoa, didn't mean to interrupt. Just a girl looking for some pancakes.... but I guess it'll still be a while before the kitchen opens, so I'll just..." She started backing out of the apartment, hoping to avoid the yelling.  
  
But there wasn't any yelling. Just silence. Then, slowly, Luke backed away from Jess and headed down the stairs, "Come on, I'll get you your pancakes." There was a distinctive tone of defeat echoing in his voice and rather than following him downstairs, Lorelai paused to face Jess.  
  
Not knowing what was coming, he just stared at her, waiting.  
  
But she never said a word. She just stared back at him for a few minutes, then her eyes resting on the chalk covered t-shirt laying on the floor, she followed the tempting smells of pancakes down the stairs.  
  
Jess flopped down on his back and let out a long groan.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"I just don't get it, Lor... I don't know what I'm doing wrong." Luke was whipping batter furiously, sending bits of it flying into the air.  
  
"Hey, pancake man, give the batter a break. What did it ever do to you?" Lorelai smiled at Luke's embarrassment as he realized how much of it had flown out of the bowl and onto the ceiling. Then she sighed, knowing he needed encouragement. "It's not you. You have done more for that boy than anyone else in the world would've. You can't help it that he's screwed up...."  
  
"You don't understand. When you woke up this morning, Rory was there in the house with you. She didn't storm out of the house last night after an argument and then not come home until nearly noon the next day." Luke let out a frustrated groan, and continued, "I just don't know how to handle it. He goes out and doesn't come back. He doesn't tell me where he's been, and he doesn't apologize for staying out. Do you know what he said to me when I confronted him? 'Morning.' Morning? Can you believe that? After I wake up at six am and discover that he has still not come in, I get up to go looking for him for SIX HOURS. After the diner has been closed for a whole Sunday morning of business, all he has to say is 'Morning'" Luke slammed his fist into the counter between him and Lorelai. "I just want to..."  
  
"Hey, hey calm down there. First of all, violence is not the answer. Killing him won't solve the problem, and it would get you in a heap of trouble, I might add. Taylor would not be happy to be owning the store across the street from a convicted murderer." She glanced up at Luke's face, which was lightening slightly, "and secondly, Jess's attitude is Jess's problem, so don't let his smart-ass behavior get to you, okay? Just keep doing what you're doing. He'll come around."  
  
Lorelai tried to give Luke an encouraging smile, even though she didn't believe the words she was speaking. In fact, she thought that Jess was trouble. Trouble that she didn't want her daughter getting involved in.  
  
"Thanks." Luke smiled and poured her a large cup of coffee, no arguments. 


	6. Chapter 6 Making Amends

Chapter 6 - Making Amends  
  
Lorelai had picked up a few burgers and met her daughter at home. Once they were eating, she started in. "I know Jess was over here last night, now I want details."  
  
"You saw him?" Rory's face went white and she stopped eating.  
  
"Saw him? No... what? I wasn't here. How could I have seen him?" The answer to that question dawned on Lorelai as she stared at her daughter incredulously, "he spent the entire night?!"  
  
"No... no... I just thought that maybe you came home last night or drove by or walked by or did something that involved seeing us outside together." Rory felt bad lying to her mom, and she knew she wasn't doing a good job of it, but she had seen the look on Lorelai's face when she thought Jess had stayed all night long, and Rory couldn't bear to tell her that the two had spent the night in the same bed.  
  
"Oh.." She sighed in relief, but stopped short as she realized the confirmation Rory had given her. "But he was here?" A nod was her only response. "What happened?"  
  
"Nothing, well not exactly nothing. We hung out: drew pictures, watched movies,..."  
  
Lorelai appraised the room before finishing the sentence for her, "...had a pillow fight."  
  
Rory smiled, a blush coloring her cheeks. "Yeah... it was fun." Then seeing the all-too-familiar disapproving look on her mother's face Rory became defensive. "He's nice Mom. I really wish you wouldn't hate him. He's my friend."  
  
"The friend you call to come over after you and Dean get in a fight?"  
  
"Mom.. It's not like that. We're just friends."  
  
"Okay... so what did you and Dean fight about?" Lorelai had thought she was dropping the touchy subject, but then she saw the blush on Rory's face deepen, and she knew what the fight had been about.  
  
"We... uh... He... um..."  
  
"Men!" Lorelai surprised her daughter by curling her lower lip up in disgust. "They are all the same. It's always about sex!"  
  
"MOM!" Rory had never heard her mother talk with such disgust or contempt about anything, especially men. She was sounding like a common feminist.  
  
"Rory!" She mimicked her daughter's outburst exactly, the typically perky Lorelai rearing her head before collapsing on the couch in a show of complete exhaustion. "I can't leave you two alone for a night without him getting these unholy thoughts in his head." She clucked her tongue in disgust. "I just might have to have a little talk with my friend Dean."  
  
"Mom! Leave him alone, okay? He didn't do anything wrong."  
  
"What? You were the one...."  
  
"What? NO!"  
  
"So it was him. Why I oughtta..."  
  
"Mom! Listen. It's not his fault. I mean, we have been together for more than a year, and he has never tried to push me... and I don't know, maybe I'm just being ridiculous. I mean... it only took you and Dad a few months, and..."  
  
"Rory. Listen to me. I was young and stupid. Yes, I loved your father, and you are so wonderful that I wouldn't trade you for anything, but... But I gave up a lot to have you, more than even I know, and I don't want you to have to do that. You have so much going for you."  
  
"I know, and that's what I told him, but still..."  
  
"But still...? Are you even listening to yourself? You're talking like this is something that you owe him. Come on Rory.. You know better than that." Lorelai raised herself into a sitting position, pulling her daughter down beside her.  
  
"Yeah, I know." The small, tear-stained face stared up at her, and Lorelai couldn't help but think of all the times they'd been in this exact position. Rory crying, Lorelai holding her, listening to her problems... But somehow this time was different. They were talking about something beyond simple school or boy problems. Rory was growing up, and Lorelai couldn't tell her what to do for much longer. If she really loved Dean, then there was no stopping what was going to happen.  
  
If she really loved him. Something in the pit of her stomach told Lorelai that if they were having this conversation, then Rory didn't.  
  
* * * * *  
  
This boredom thing was really starting to get to Jess. He'd been holed up in his room for the past three hours, and he was tired of thinking about Rory. Every time he tried to get some sleep, her face invaded his thoughts. Every time he tried to get comfortable he remembered waking up with her head lying on his chest, her arms and legs intertwined with his. Then this morning, her kissing him, even if it only was on the cheek. Pure bliss. That's what last night had been. But now he was here, and she was out there. He had no idea if she felt the same about last night, about anything.  
  
"Hey, stop lazing around, and get up." Jess jumped at the sound of Luke's voice. He had never known Luke to be stealthy enough to sneak up one someone before. He must've been really lost in thought.  
  
"Why? Did you get the bars for me to install?"  
  
"The bars?"  
  
"For the windows? Or maybe some window blackener? That way I won't be able to see out either." Jess knew he was being unreasonable, but after their one-sided exchange earlier, he wasn't sure of Luke's mood.  
  
"Listen Jess, we're not going to go through this again. I-"  
  
"Really? Isn't that what you came up here for? Round 2?"  
  
"Shut up." Luke's voice came out as a controlled growl, and Jess was too shocked at the intensity to think of a smart-ass remark, "I have something to say, and I can't get it out with you interrupting me, so listen." Luke sat down on the edge of Jess's bed and offered nephew a half-smile before saying something Jess had not been expecting. "I'm glad you're here. Before you came, I didn't know what it meant to care about someone else as much as yourself, and you showed me that. I know I yell at you a lot, but it is just how I am. I can't help it.  
  
Luke paused, taking in the stoic expression on Jess's face before continuing. "And I know you're not happy to be here, having to leave your life behind to come to this boring small town. I know you're the one that has had to do all the adjusting. So, I..uh... just wanted to let you know that I get it, and I want to try to get along with you." Upon finishing, Luke attempted another half-smile and got up to exit the room.  
  
"Hey, Uncle Luke." The figure in the doorway turned around at the sound of his name. "Does this mean I'm not in trouble for last night?" Jess gave his uncle one of the smirks he was already identified by.  
  
"Nice try." Luke's gruff demeanor returned as he and his nephew came to an mild understanding. "But if you're nice, I'll let you come downstairs and cook us some dinner."  
  
Jess got up off the bed and followed his uncle downstairs.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Rory walked quickly when she spotted the already waiting figure pacing across the gazebo. Dean had called her ten minutes ago, after she and her mom had finished talking and were in the middle of the oompas song to ask her if she wanted to get together and talk. Rory had suggested meeting in the gazebo at the center of town. She figured that a neutral place like that would give them a chance to talk without worrying about territory, or especially without worrying about Lorelai's interference.  
  
"Dean.... hi." Rory approached the figure, who immediately took her hands in his own and started talking.  
  
"Hi.... Listen Rory, I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have tried to push you into anything. I know that you love me, and that's enough."  
  
She looked up into his eyes which were intense in their sincerity and smiled. Dean was really such a good guy. She was lucky to have such an understanding boyfriend. He was exactly what she wanted, wasn't he? That sandy brown hair that she loved to run her fingers through, the beautiful eyes. He was really quite a catch...  
  
On an impulse, she seized his face in her hands and pressed her lips against his, putting all her emotions into one of the most passionate, searing kisses the two had ever shared.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Across the street Jess was sitting at the table in the middle of Luke's when he noticed the familiar figure headed down the street. His heart had jumped when he thought she might be headed towards the diner. But she had passed the entrance, and instead veered into the town square, stopping when she reached the gazebo.  
  
Jess stood up, and squinting his eyes, he could make out the shadow of another person. Great. She was meeting him. Not wanting to know what was going to happen, but unable to tear his eyes away Jess pressed his face up against the glass, staring at the pair talking.  
  
First he took her hands, then after a few seconds she grabbed him and kissed him with more passion than Jess had thought was possible. "Fuck!" He cussed out loud, trying to ignore the cracking sound his voice made when he said it. That was it, he didn't want to see anymore. Jess turned around and after snatching the bottle of scotch Luke kept hidden under the counter, he headed out the door towards somewhere he knew he would be alone. Tonight was most definitely a special occasion.  
  
  
  
a/n - hee, hee! that's an evil way to end the chapter, i know.. but it's still r/j and before i get any questions about it, i just wanted to clarify the point. Yes, Lorelai did see Jess sneaking into the apartment in the morning and get suspicous, but for my purposes she never considered that he was at the house all night, she just thought that he'd been with Rory and then gone wandering around or something. Yeah, I know she's not that dumb, but uh... it served my purposes so that's the way it is. Review pleaz! 


	7. Chapter 7 That's Not Love

07 - That's Not Love  
  
"Whoa, what was that for?" Dean was grinning widely at her reaction to his simple apology. It hadn't been much, and he had been expecting a much longer talk before the making up began.  
  
Taking in the complete delight on his face, Rory felt her heart breaking. She had been sitting there thinking about how Dean was the model boyfriend when it hit her, she was naming off all the things that made him the ideal boyfriend for anyone. She couldn't think of a single thing that made him perfect for her.  
  
To her, Dean was safe. She knew that she wouldn't lose control of herself and do something stupid with him. Last night her mother had left her alone for an entire night with her boyfriend of over a year, and nothing had happened. More than that, she hadn't wanted anything to happen. She was just as happy being alone as being with him. When they had woken up together on the couch, she'd been disappointed that he was still there. Yet, when she'd woken up that morning with Jess, her first reaction had been to smile at the thought of waking up with him.  
  
Now all the pieces came together as she recalled the look her mother had been giving her when they finished talking that afternoon. She'd had this strange look of bittersweet thoughtfulness that Rory hadn't understood. But it all made sense now. Her mother had been remembering her first love, the passion and the excitement, and she had realized that her daughter didn't have that with Dean. She had seen this coming.  
  
Rory courageously fought the tears as they filled her eyes. She wanted more than anything to be in love with Dean. He was perfect, and safe, and one of her best friends. But it wasn't fair to stay with him for those reasons. He should be with someone who loved him back.  
  
"Dean... I... we can't..." She stood up and started walking away when a hand grabbed her arm.  
  
"Rory, I already said that we didn't have to do anything you're not ready for. Weren't you listening?"  
  
She just stared at him, the tears she'd been fighting spilling out in full force. He still thought that she was talking about last night, about sex. "No Dean, it's not that."  
  
Confusion clouded his face, which the blood was quickly draining from as her true meaning sunk in. "No.. Rory... I... I love you." The words were delivered with such gut-wrenching honesty that Rory thought the guilt might kill her.  
  
She placed a hand on the side of his face. "I want to be in love with you Dean," she paused to swallow and saw his features harden, as she whispered the last part, "but I'm not. Not the way I should be." With that she turned and walked away, leaving a shell shocked Dean standing in the gazebo in the middle of town, tears streaming down his cheeks.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Rory had intended to go home, but she found herself heading in another direction. She knew where she was headed, and the tears stopped leaking from her eyes as she considered why. She was sad to have lost Dean, but she wasn't heart-broken. Now that she was away from his face, that heart- wrenching sight of heartbreak, Rory wanted nothing more than to see another face.  
  
The stars lit up the river as she made her way towards the bridge that she and Jess had spent that afternoon after he had paid nearly $100 her not-so- delightful picnic basket. She smiled as she stepped onto the wooden planks, remembering how he had actually taken a bite of the food before spitting it into the lake. She could see him now, sitting there with his feet hanging over the edge, just barely out of the water.  
  
Blinking, she realized it wasn't just a memory sitting there but the actual person. She walked up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Jess?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Jess jumped up at the touch of skin on his arm and the sound of her voice, dropping the bottle he'd been gripping so tightly in his left hand. Then, practically growling, he turned on the one who had interrupted his thoughts, "What do you want, Rory?"  
  
She was a bit taken aback by his abominable reaction to her touch and she stared into his eyes, confusion overwhelming her. Then the bottle dropped to the ground, and Rory knew why he was out here. He had come here to forget about her. To forget about the night they had had together. She had gotten to him the way he had gotten to her, and things weren't the same for either one of them now.  
  
And she knew that it was up to her to do for him tonight what she had done last night. He had pulled her back from the edge when she was desperate and confused, and now it was her turn to return the favor.  
  
She reached out for his hand, but he skillfully evaded touching her. Instead, he rounded on her like a coyote with its prey.  
  
"Shouldn't you be with you boyfriend about now? Making up for lost time?" Jess winced as he said the last phrase, remembering the sight of her and Dean locked in an intimate embrace just minutes before. He whirled around, planning to continue his retreat.  
  
But she put an end to that. Grabbing his arm, she forced him to turn around and look at her. The moonlight shone down on her face, letting him see for the first time the effect the tears she'd been crying had on her skin. It was all puffy around her eyes, and her cheeks glistened with wetness.  
  
She began to speak in a raspy breath that told Jess fresh tears weren't too far off. "Please, I want you to stay." Then, seeing his backward steps falter, Rory stepped closer to him. "It's over."  
  
Jess couldn't believe his ears. Had they actually broken up? Was she actually here with him, telling him this? It had to be a dream. But it wasn't. He could feel her ice cold hands on his arm, and smell her. She was here, with him. He risked a small smile as he looked down at her vulnerable face, gazed up at him a smile stretching across her lips in time with his.  
  
Then it happened, the thing he had been wishing for since he'd first laid eyes on her. Rory Gilmore reached up and kissed him. And as he deepened the kiss and tightened his arms around the tiny figure, Jess kicked the bottle of scotch into the river. He wouldn't be needing that for this special occasion.  
The End.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
a/n - okay that's the end. yes, abrupt, but it just seemed like such a good ending. i know that i didn't really address Lorelai's reaction to Jess too much or anything, but i might do a sequel if enuf people want it... so let me know if you do. :) thanx for reading! 


End file.
